rps-2

This is a classic example of needless Hollywood violence. It starts out as what seems to be a decent cloak and dagger story but soon degenerates into constant gunfire, flowing blood and falling bodies. It reflects badly and irresponsibly on both Hollywood films and American diplomacy. I wondered how many young people considered it "exciting" or "neat." Probably quite a few!. I found it disturbing and depressing. The US has a major problem with gun violence. Films like this, which portray guns as glamourous personal accessories, are a major contributor to that problem. A couple of generations ago, everybody in the movies smoked. Smoking was then glamourous and it prompted young people (including me at the time) to start smoking. Guns have replaced cigarettes and they are even deadlier.

It's great story line but a bad movie. Arctic scientists find the body of a 40,000 year old Neanderthal man in the ice and bring it back to life. OK. It's science-fiction with emphasis on the fiction! The snowy setting is intriguing and well photographed. But the whole thing collapses as the story line stumbles and stalls. The ending? Well, lets not give it away. But it's neither probable nor original. There is an excess of high tech jargon in the early scenes and endless rounds of two-way gibberish as the scientists try to communicate with their hairy guest. By the way, his name is Charlie.

I still don't know what this film was all about. For reasons not explained, the bad guys want to burn down a huge building in Hong Kong and the one good guy outwits and stops them. However the effects are sensational, a non ending sequence of fires, bombs, gunshots, close calls, explosions, risky jumps and hazardous situations. Unrealistic, silly, impractical and unbelievable, it nevertheless is worth watching. More than once I averted my eyes and let out various yelps, cries and gasps. It's exciting yet inoffensive. It's a harmless bit of cinematic fluff. But the sensational effects are well worth seeing.